Riders of various types of open wheeled vehicles, such as, for example, motorcycles, generally wear head protective helmets, and, in the case of racing vehicles, such as motorcycles, they are required to wear such helmets. While the helmets afford a large measure of head and neck protection, especially in those cases where there is a crash or the cyclist is unseated, they are heavy and also exhibit a high degree of heat retention. Thus, in the case of motorcycle racing, the rider tends to experience a great deal of discomfort from the retained heat, and both the heat and weight of the helmet result in premature tiring of the rider.
The present invention is primarily directed to that class of motorcyclists who are subjected to a great deal of heat and fatiguing activity, but it will be readily apparent from the following description that the present invention is readily adaptable for all types of cyclists, as well as automobile and truck drivers, and for those engaged in other pursuits as well.
Heretofore, there have been numerous arrangements for supplying cool air to a vehicle, such as an automobile. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,557,004 of Lepper, such a system is shown in which an ice containing receptacle receives air from the standard air inlets of a car via a conduit. The air passes over the ice and is discharged into the car interior through openings in the receptacle, which is carried in the front seat area of the car.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,802,347 of Marcus shows a similar system wherein the ice containing receptacle is carried in the trunk of the car, and contains a blower which draws air from the interior of the car into the receptacle and blows cooled air out into the interior of the car.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,915,885 of Reagan shows a system similar to that of Marcus, except the air is contained in conduits passing through the receptacle.
All of the aforementioned arrangements have drain means for draining off the water resulting from melting ice, as does a similar system shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,250,317 of Sudduth.
Various arrangements also exist for applying cooled air to the actual person of the user. Thus, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,405,348 and 4,459,822 of Pasternack, show cooling arrangements for use with heat protective suits. A liquid coolant is recirculated by means of a pump through conduits within the suit into an ice containing heat exchanger carried on the user's back. No means is supplied for disposing of the melted ice, which continues to act as a refrigerant.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,140,590 of Gleockler, a face mask, such as a gas mask, cooling arrangement is shown wherein air drawn in through the typical respirator canister is passed through an ice containing receptacle before exiting into the mask adjacent the wearer's mouth and nose. The apparatus must be carried by the user, and appears to be both bulky and relatively heavy. Water from melted ice is drained off by removing the lid of the canister and tilting it to pour out the water.
As discussed heretofore, prior art cooling arrangements for cooling the user, and not just the ambient air, are bulky and heavy, and the air, or coolant, is circulated by means of a pump, also carried by the user, or by the user's own breathing. None of the arrangements are readily adaptable for use on a motorcycle, for example, and especially a racing motorcycle, wherein burdening or restricting the movement of the cyclist is to be avoided as much as possible. Nor do any of the prior art arrangements direct the cooling to the head of the user, where it is most desired.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,458,415 of Natus, there is shown an arrangement for cooling the user's head by mounting the cooling device in the helmet or hat worn by the user. A tray containing a cooling agent, such as a re-freezable gel, a saturated pad or sponge, or a Freon charged condenser coil is inserted into the helmet, and a battery powered blower, also contained in the helmet, blows air over the cooling member, thereby cooling the top of the user's head. Such an arrangement apparently produces a volume of cooling air directed onto the user's head, but adds to the weight that must be carried by the user. Such an arrangement is also of relatively low capacity, i.e. it does not circulate large volumes of air, nor is there any use made of the melted cooling agent.